By Jeanette Serfling Administrative Assistant Andrea and Jeff Eickhoff and Ruth and Norman Eickhoff were honored at a luncheon at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s (MASWCD) Annual Convention, which was held in December in Bloomington where Outstanding Conservationists from across Minnesota were recognized and competed for the title of … [Read more...]
The benefits of trees and windbreaks
By Rick Grooters Resource Conservation Technician Whether we live in town or on a farm, everyone should be concerned about the welfare of our trees. We may be inclined to take our trees for granted. Trees are major contributors to our quality of life. Our trees combat global warming by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. Trees reduce air … [Read more...]
Fillmore SWCD offers internship opportunities
By Donna Rasmussen Administrator Since 2010, the Fillmore SWCD has been host to one or two summer interns each year. Beginning in 2012, those interns have been hired through the Conservation Corps Minnesota Conservation Apprenticeship program. Conservation apprentices serve alongside a natural resource professional in a Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation District … [Read more...]
Water quality work just got a whole lot bigger for the Root and Upper Iowa River basins!
By Jennifer Ronnenberg Water Management Coordinator The Root River One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) was approved in December 2016 by its 13-member policy committee, following approval by the MN Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR). The Root River 1W1P Policy Committee was formed in 2015 for the preparation of one of the state’s first comprehensive watershed scale … [Read more...]
Minnesota Buffer Law
By Rick Grooters Resource Conservation Technician and Anne Koliha Engineering Technician In the summer of 2015, Governor Dayton signed into law a new buffer initiative aimed at enhancing the protection of Minnesota’s waters. The buffers are to protect our water resources from erosion and runoff pollution. The buffers are to be installed by November 1, 2017 on all DNR … [Read more...]
Fillmore SWCD 2017 forestry field day theme is “Using fire for vegetation management”
The Fillmore SWCD 2017 Forestry Field Day will be held Wednesday, July 26 at Forestville State Park. This year’s theme, “Using fire for vegetation management (without calling 911!)”, will cover topics such as comparing a site that has been burned on a regular basis with one that has not, the permitting process, creating a firebreak, how woodland burning differs from grassland … [Read more...]
Fillmore SWCD celebrates 75 years!
By Donna Rasmussen Administrator 1942: The U.S. had just entered World War II. The nation was finally recovering from the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s had begun a movement to conserve our precious soils. And the Civilian Conservation Corps was winding down its work to install soil conservation practices. It was in this climate that the Fillmore Soil and … [Read more...]
Meet the SWCD Board of Supervisors
The SWCD Board of Supervisors is comprised of five supervisors, one from each district of the county. Supervisors serve a four-year term and are elected in the general election. Fillmore SWCD supervisors are elected at large – meaning that all eligible voters throughout the county are able to vote for the open positions. This past November three supervisors were elected. … [Read more...]
Fillmore County storm water basins get facelift
By Jennifer Ronnenberg Water Management Coordinator A partnership opportunity between the Fillmore SWCD, Fillmore County, the Conservation Corps of MN, and the Fillmore County Sentence to Serve crew gave some local storm water structures a much needed facelift. Two existing water retention basins at the Fillmore County Office Building in Preston were renovated in November … [Read more...]
Have you considered CRP on your land?
By Caleb Fischer SWCD Conservation Technician The loss of grasslands has hurt native bird species, pollinators, and water quality, as well as pheasants. Between 2007 and 2014, populations of dickcissels declined by 72%, grasshopper sparrows by 50%, bobolinks by 45%, and meadowlarks by 22%. Pollinators like honeybees, native bees and butterflies, have declined at alarming … [Read more...]